Stories for October 29, 2012

Sandy, the hurricane-turned-superstorm that has been pummeling much of the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and New England since the weekend, is now moving north on a path that will take it through most of New York State and then on to southern Ontario, Quebec and northern New England.

Superstorm Sandy slammed into the New Jersey coastline with 80 mph winds and hurled a record-breaking 13-foot surge of seawater at New York City on Monday, roaring ashore after washing away part of the Atlantic City boardwalk and putting the presidential campaign on hold.

The latest and last NPR Battleground Poll for 2012 shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney holding the narrowest of leads in the national sample, but trailing President Obama in the dozen states that will decide the election.

What are the secrets behind your favorite foods? Why are some treats — like chocolate chip cookies — delectable, while others — like cookies made with mealworms — disgusting? You may think you understand what makes something sweet, salty or bitter, but David Pogue gets a taste of a much more complicated truth as he ventures into labs and kitchens where everything from apple pie to Thanksgiving turkey to juicy grasshoppers is diced, sliced, dissected and put under the microscope.

New York City has seen some of the worst damage from Sandy. Large parts of Manhattan were without power on Monday night, a building crane was knocked loose, and there were reports of flooding in the city's subway system.

"Erma Bombeck: A Legacy Of Laughter," celebrates one of America's best loved humorists. Recollections from family and friends along with photographs and rare home movies tell the story of her life and career. Phil Donahue, family friend and host of the award-winning talk show DONAHUE narrates.

FRONTLINE travels to the remote epicenter of the campaign finance debate for a tale of money, politics and intrigue. How has the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision changed campaigns in America? Ask Montana, which has tried to challenge the ruling in court, is investigating alleged campaign abuses and is playing host to a bitter race that could decide control of the U.S. Senate. FRONTLINE correspondent and MARKETPLACE host Kai Ryssdal reports.

The wildly popular Comic-Con International convention, which attracts comic book and movie fans from around the world, will be held at the San Diego Convention Center through 2016, its operators and Mayor Jerry Sanders announced today.

Three candidates want to be Oceanside's mayor; Escondido voters must choose whether their city will become a charter city with more power; and Del Mar will decide whether or not to completely change the way in and out of downtown.

Proposition 32 has become the most hotly contested state ballot measure this election season. The so-called “Paycheck Protection Initiative” would prohibit unions from using automatic payroll deductions for political purposes.

KPBS is pleased to announce two new local television programs: Savor San Diego and A Growing Passion. Both feature local experts in their field and are a recognizable part of the community. KPBS received 52 submissions for the Explore San Diego Project.

Las Vegas is a small television market, so advertisements are cheap here. Campaigns, PACs and political committees are throwing millions of dollars at ads to sway Latino voters, who make up 15 percent of Nevada's registered voters. This year in Las Vegas alone, at least $4 million has been spent on Spanish-language TV ads at two stations -- Univision and Telemundo.

Official Washington shut down today for Hurricane Sandy, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was on the job. It's mission: preparedness. Among other things, the agency is stockpiling water, meals, blankets and cots.

Audie Cornish speaks with Larry Abramson in Ocean City, Md., about the impact of Hurricane Sandy. The storm has already destroyed the town's fishing pier and sent floodwaters pouring into low-lying areas

In September, Circle Circle dot dot did a fundraiser called "Invasion" in which they performed five radio dramas. KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando was so impressed she asked them to come in and record the two Ray Bradbury plays for air. Listen to the full play here and watch a behind the scenes video.

Wisconsin is in the small group of remaining battleground states that could determine the outcome of the presidential election. Turnout operations are an important part of the Mitt Romney and President Obama campaigns in all the critical states. But in Wisconsin, get-out-the-vote efforts grew out of the state's hard-fought gubernatorial recall election.

Robert Siegel and Audie Cornish check in with Jeff Brady, who monitored coastal conditions and official briefings in Cape May, N.J. They also talk to Margot Adler in New York City. Science Correspondent Joe Palca talks about the storm's strength and direction, as well as some of the unusual characteristics that have inspired the nickname "Frankenstorm."

Economists will need many days -- maybe weeks or months -- to assess the financial harm being done by Hurricane Sandy. But whatever the final figure, it will be huge, well into the tens of billions of dollars.

Hurricane Sandy is bearing down on the East Coast of the U.S., bringing sustained wind, heavy rain, and flooding that's forcing roads, bridges and mass transit systems to close from New York City to Washington. We're following the storm's progress and its impacts here on The Two-Way .

As Hurricane Sandy continues its slow progress up the East Coast, thoughts of voting aren't uppermost in most people's minds. Nevertheless, state and local officials are scrambling to accommodate early voters as best they can.

In a highly unusual move, the Navy has removed Rear Adm. Charles Gaouette from his post as commander of the Stennis Carrier Strike Group during deployment in the Persian Gulf. The San Diego-based USS Mobile Bay is part of the Stennis Carrier Strike Group.

When Jung-Ho Pak resigned as Orchestra Nova’s conductor and artistic director, it set off a domino effect. First the season opening concerts were canceled. Last week, the entire season was canceled. At this point, the future of the orchestra is uncertain. KPBS arts reporter Angela Carone spoke with Jung-Ho Pak about his reasons for leaving.

Forecasters warned that the New York City region could face the worst of Hurricane Sandy as it bore down on the U.S. East Coast’s largest cities Monday, forcing the shutdown of financial markets and mass transit, sending coastal residents fleeing and threatening high winds, rain and a wall of water up to 11 feet (3.35 metres) tall. It could endanger up to 50 million people for days.